Navigate Without GPS

We love GPS technology, so why would we spend time and precious pages telling you how to get along without it? A few reasons come to mind. Not everyone has a GPS unit. GPS units can break down. The satellite signal can be lost in dense woods or deep canyons. Above all, it's empowering to be familiar with more than one way to find your way.

We'll break this down into two general categories: map and compass, and general route finding.

Don't Fear the Map
Some people get intimidated or annoyed by maps. Maybe you're one of them. If so, take some time to study your map before you go out into the dirt. That way, you'll have some familiarity with your map before you have to depend on it.

1. This sounds obvious, but keep your map and compass in a designated place here you can find them. While shooting these photos, I was sure I'd left one of my maps on the ground and drove off. I backtracked to the spot, got out, and looked all over the place. No map. I finally started digging through my stuff and found the map was in my camera backpack! After that, I put all the maps and my compass in the glove box.

1. This sounds obvious, but keep your map and compass in a designated place here you can f

Maps Have Themes
Not all maps are created equal. Maps are used to show data and spatial relationships. Different maps could be created for the same area that would look radically different from one another. One could show population density, while another could show average rainfall. Still another could show street routes and not much else. The type of maps used for off-road navigation is usually topographical, and include contour lines or other markings to indicate what the natural terrain is like.

Map Checklist
Make sure the map you purchase shows natural features. Rivers, mountains, lakes, etc., should all be indicated. The map should also show how steep the mountain slopes are, or aren't. Your map should show established routes, and what type of routes they are: paved roads, dirt roads, 4WD trails, or hiking trails. Your map should also indicate who owns the land. Private land, U.S. Forest Service land, BLM land, city-owned land, and Federal wilderness all go by different sets of rules when it comes to vehicle access. Your map should also have a scale, so you'll know what distance an inch on the map represents on the ground.

True North vs. Magnetic North
True north is at the North Pole. Magnetic compasses point to magnetic north, which is somewhere in the Arctic Ocean. Most maps should show the difference, which is called the declination. In North America, the declination is about 13 degrees east. Most maps will indicate the declination in the key or legend. The tricky part of true north vs. magnetic north is that maps are drawn with north facing true North, while your magnetic compass points to magnetic North. Not to worry, as there's a way you can reconcile the two and find your way.

2. Here's the view ahead. We can use the hills on the right and the telephone poles to help us navigate. Several sets of pre-existing tire tracks show that this is a beaten path. Be aware, though, that if all the tire tracks appear the same it might be the same vehicle making several trips back and forth.
2. Here's the view ahead. We can use the hills on the right and the telephone poles to hel
3. Looking 180 degrees in the opposite direction, we can see that the telephone poles are now on our left, and we can see the tops of a couple of rock outcroppings . Larger mountains loom in the distance.
3. Looking 180 degrees in the opposite direction, we can see that the telephone poles are
4. Holey rocks, Batman! Distinctive features like this one make good navigation landmarks.

5. Railroad tracks are great route-finding aids, but be careful to stay a safe distance from the tracks.
5. Railroad tracks are great route-finding aids, but be careful to stay a safe distance fr
7. Good idea: Your hood makes a great surface on which to lay a map.
8. Bad idea: A steel hood will affect a magnetic compass. Even if you've got a fiberglass hood, there's a possibility that steel parts under the hood will throw off the reading. It's best to hold the compass in your hand or lay the map and compass on the ground. If there's enough iron in the soil, that too can throw off the reading - a rare situation, but a reality nonetheless.
8. Bad idea: A steel hood will affect a magnetic compass. Even if you've got a fiberglass

6. Landmarks don't have to be natural features. This dilapidated boxcar is a great navigational aid.
6. Landmarks don't have to be natural features. This dilapidated boxcar is a great navigat
9. It seems like there's always a breeze blowing out on the trail. A few rocks help keep the map from flapping. It's not always necessary to unfold the whole map. Often, you can fold sections underneath and just keep the relevant sections facing upward. Folding the map into a more compact size works well when inside your rig. It's also better to look at the map before you become disoriented. If you use the map as a guide, chances are you won't have to use it as a rescue tool.
9. It seems like there's always a breeze blowing out on the trail. A few rocks help keep t
10. A map needn't be chock-full of information. This page from Harry Lewellyn's Glovebox Guide shows the pertinent parts of the route only. Note the disclaimer: No scale. Not for navigation. There's enough information on this page to get you from A to B, but it's best to have another map with more detail along for backup. Each of the routes in the Glovebox Guide has a list of supplemental maps for this purpose.
10. A map needn't be chock-full of information. This page from Harry Lewellyn's Glovebox G

11. Here's a view of some contour lines in the Moab, Utah, area. Note how close together they are along Porcupine Rim. This is information that could save your life, as Porcupine Rim is a sheer drop-off. On this map, each contour line represents 50 feet of elevation change.
11. Here's a view of some contour lines in the Moab, Utah, area. Note how close together t
12. Each map includes a key or legend to help make sense of it. Here, we see that one inch on the map represents 3.95 miles on the ground, or 1:250,000 scale. We can also see that the map is drawn with true north at the top and shows the magnetic declination of 13 degrees. The contour interval is 200 feet.
12. Each map includes a key or legend to help make sense of it. Here, we see that one inch
13. The rotating compass ring, called the azimuth ring contains the compass needle. There are two sets of markings along the perimeter. The outer markings are MILS and are used in military navigation. We're concerned with the inner markings which are degrees. As always, there are 360 degrees in a complete circle.
13. The rotating compass ring, called the azimuth ring contains the compass needle. There

All Compasses are Not Created Equal
Every magnetic compass points to magnetic north, but that might be the only thing they have in common. You'll want a liquid-filled compass, which encases the needle in liquid and keeps it from bouncing all over the place. You'll also want a compass with a stationary base. Finally, you'll want to be able to turn the dial or bezel around the compass needle. The compass need not be expensive. The Brunton 9077 lensatic compass shown in this story cost less than $20. As it turned out, I could have gotten away with a more basic compass that had fewer features.

General Route-Finding
This might simply be called being observant. As you go along, pay attention to the overall lay of the land. Does it slope? Is it broken up by mountains, hills, forests, or a river? Are there familiar parts of civilization nearby? Is your destination on a mountaintop or near the mouth of a canyon, and if so do you see one nearby? While you're doing this, be safe! You might need to pull over every so often to look around.

Leave Mental Breadcrumbs
Every now and then, look back. A glance in the mirror is helpful, but it's best to stop and take a real look around. You want to see what your route looks like in reverse. Look for features you might also notice after dark. A trail can look completely different after the sun sets.

Chill!
If you have to know exactly where you are every second, you'll spend most of your time either obsessing or panicking. Author Harry Lewellyn, who wrote Backroad Trips and Tips: Glovebox Guide to Unpaved Southern California, says to "shrink the map." I think "zoom out" is also a fitting phrase. If you "shrink the map" or "zoom out," you'll realize that you know where you are in general, even if you don't know exactly and specifically. A little mystery is part of the adventure.

A Final Benefit
I've noticed that when I'm staring at a GPS, I don't connect as fully with my surroundings. Granted, it's easier and feels more secure to look at a GPS screen and see where I am in real time, but when I have to depend on recognizing a rock outcropping, a stand of trees, or the confluence of two creeks to know where I am, I feel more connected. Map and compass have their place, and so does GPS.

Now get out there and explore!

14. The Brunton 9077 is a lensatic compass and includes a set of sights that can be aimed at landmarks like a rifle.
14. The Brunton 9077 is a lensatic compass and includes a set of sights that can be aimed
15. The outer bezel ring can be rotated. Each click represents three degrees. Note the black line, which always points the same direction. The two yellow lines rotate with the bezel. We'll just be using the longer yellow line with the magnifier.
15. The outer bezel ring can be rotated. Each click represents three degrees. Note the bla
16. Before we can begin to really use a map, we need to orient the map to reality. This can be done without a compass if you can recognize your position and can also recognize some prominent features in reality that also appear on the map. There are two ways to orient a map using a compass. Here, the compass is set so the yellow line is above the black line. The compass is then set on the map mark showing the 13-degree declination. Next, the map and the compass are both rotated until the north arrow lines up with the overlaid yellow and black lines. Now we've got the map pointing correctly at both true north and magnetic north.
16. Before we can begin to really use a map, we need to orient the map to reality. This ca

17. Here's another way. We've rotated the bezel 13 degrees east. We've set the compass base parallel to true north. We then rotate the map until the compass needle lines up with the yellow line. The needle points to magnetic north and the compass base and the map both point to true north.
17. Here's another way. We've rotated the bezel 13 degrees east. We've set the compass bas
18. For our photo session, we went to Cajon Pass, which has a lot of natural features and a lot of human infrastructure. It's also enveloped by the San Bernardino National Forest. Our USFS map didn't show the magnetic declination, but it's 13 degrees east. As such, we oriented our map by setting the compass bezel 13 degrees east, and the edge of our compass along the north-south indicator lines on the map. When we turned the map and the compass so that the needle and the yellow line matched, our map was oriented. Now that the map is oriented, we can take directional bearings without worrying about the declination again because the readings will be correct relative to each other.
18. For our photo session, we went to Cajon Pass, which has a lot of natural features and
19. Now, we'll figure out our exact position on the map. We were near this rock outcropping earlier (not the same one shown in a previous photo) and now it's going to help us get our bearings.
19. Now, we'll figure out our exact position on the map. We were near this rock outcroppin

20. We take a bearing by sighting the outcropping and then turning the compass bezel so that the yellow line lines up with the compass needle.
20. We take a bearing by sighting the outcropping and then turning the compass bezel so th
21. Next, we find that point on the map. It's not shown here, but we can tell its location relative to the nearby railroad tracks, the highway, and the Mormon Rocks USFS ranger station.
21. Next, we find that point on the map. It's not shown here, but we can tell its location
22. Our map is still in position, still oriented. We lay the edge of the compass over our landmark and turn the compass (not the compass bezel) until the needle lines up with the yellow line. Our physical location is somewhere along the edge of the compass.
22. Our map is still in position, still oriented. We lay the edge of the compass over our

23. It would be nice to simply draw a line on the map, but do that too many times and the map will become useless. Instead, we used another map as a straightedge to mark the line.
23. It would be nice to simply draw a line on the map, but do that too many times and the
24. We can physically see Cajon Junction where the I-15 meets with State Highway 138. We can also see it on the map. The hill to the left isn't pointed out on the map, so Cajon Junction makes a better landmark for our purposes. As before, we sighted through our compass and turned the compass bezel until the needle and the yellow line were lined up.
24. We can physically see Cajon Junction where the I-15 meets with State Highway 138. We c
25. As before, we lined up the edge of the compass with our landmark on the map and turned the compass until the needle and the pre-established position of the yellow line were lined up. Our real-life physical position is where the edge of the compass and the edge of the folded map come together.
25. As before, we lined up the edge of the compass with our landmark on the map and turned

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By Kevin Blumer

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